Analysis: How Boris took back control of Brexit

The decision, announced today, to suspend Parliament to make way for a Queen’s speech in mid October, less than three weeks before the Brexit deadline at the end of the month, has Westminster dancing to his tune.

Opposition leaders, who had the previous day been plotting to block a no-deal Brexit through the Common, were blindsided.

The sudden shrinking of available Parliamentary time to push through their own legislation forced the dysfunctional alliance into a corner.

Should they push the nuclear button now and trigger a vote of no confidence as soon as possible, despite doubts over whether there is enough Commons support to defeat the Government?

Or should they wait and risk running down the clock and out of options?

And more to the point, can this band of rival political parties organise itself in time to do anything effective at all?

Meanwhile, Johnson has flexed his muscles and irritated all of the right people to prove to the hardline Eurosceptics in his party, many of whom are still questioning his Brexiteer credentials, that he really is one of them.

Downing Street will no doubt have rubbed their hands together with glee when in the wake of the announcement the Commons Speaker John Bercow - seen as an enemy of Brexit by many - paused his family holiday to send a furious statement branding the move a “constitutional outrage”.

And with high-profile Brexiteers, including Leave.EU chief Arron Banks, lining up to praise the new Government, Mr Johnson has taken control of the process in under two months with an air of authority the last administration couldn’t manage in two years.